Recaps - letters from February 2006

February '06

Feature Article from Hemmings Classic Car

February, 2006

Regarding the excellent article in HCC #16 on the Astro-1, unfortunately, it contains some inaccuracies that I might be able to correct. For example, the biggest problem is that the car (originally silver, then white) was designed to be a Midlands, Texas, race car for Le Mans, that it indeed ran with the multi-cam Corvair engine installed, and that only much later (after the program was cancelled) was the body resurrected to become a red show car called the Astro-1.
I was the designer of the car and have photographs of the original renderings and full-size mockups.
Roy Lonberger
GM designer 1965-68.
Studio-X (Bill Mitchell)
Chevy-2 Studio (Hank Hagga)
Warehouse Studio (Larry Shinoda)I want to add my note of praise to the many other responses to Hemmings Classic Car. As a charter subscriber to SIA in 1971, I did not think it could be improved upon, but you have shown me wrong.
I especially enjoyed "Detroit Goes to War" (HCC #14) and the 1942 cars you have profiled. I do take exception to the statement that civilian production ended on February 2, 1942, with a Ford Tudor. Twice, in past years, I have seen a picture of a 1942 Pontiac at the end of the assembly line with employees gathered around holding signs dated in the first week of March 1942, proclaiming it to be the last civilian car produced. I like to point out to my wife that she is a "special model" because that is the week she was born!
David P. Hagan
Huntersville, North CarolinaDuring WWII my father was assigned a 1942 De Soto sedan to drive by his company. Occasionally he would bring it home. I was 12 years old and hungry to look at any new car. While looking the car over, I noticed that the paint on the front bumper was scratched. Under the paint was a chrome bumper. What? I looked at the rear bumper where it was scratched and found more chrome. I made a small scratch on its massive grille, and, you guessed it, more chrome. All of the chrome had been painted over with the matching blue of the body.
I had a great idea to remove all of the paint on the chrome surfaces to make that De Soto four-door sedan look beautiful. My father didn't think that was a very good idea. I asked why would they paint over the chrome? His explanation was something about we were all sacrificing during the war, and it would be bad if some people were driving around in new cars with all that chrome, and the '42 models had lots of chrome.
So looking at the "dulled" 1942 Plymouth in HCC #14 brought back some memories. The '42 De Soto was a good-looking car even with all that blue paint.
Malcolm Mann
Chagrin Falls, OhioNot everyone was impressed with the Studebaker Corporation's World War II production record (HCC #15). One who was not-and who was in good position to observe-was Captain Robert K. Morgan, the youthful pilot of the legendary B-17, Memphis Belle.
In his 2001 autobiography, The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle, Morgan relates his dislike and distrust of the aircraft engines manufactured under license by Studebaker. He told his mechanic, "If it's the last thing in the world you do for me, don't put a Studebaker engine on my plane." Morgan had enough cachet with the maintenance crews to ensure that only replacement engines built by Curtiss-Wright were installed in the Belle.
Without a nickel's worth of help from Studebaker, Morgan flew 25 daylight bombing missions over Germany in the Belle, volunteered for additional B-29 flight duty in Japan, and lived to write a book about his experiences, which were also portrayed in a movie made in the early 1990s.
Charles Seims
West Linn, OregonThe South Bend contribution to the war effort (HCC #15) was indeed indispensable. Those six-wheel-drive trucks were designed for a pragmatic purpose, as attested to by the superb project know-how that transformed virgin territory into a 1,500-mile Alaskan Highway within an unprecedented eight months.
Without sounding too sinister, that four-wheel-drive monstrosity used in the Middle East as a substitute for the Jeep is all show, devoid of substance; meanwhile the cost is outrageous. (A different philosophy; a different time and place.)
Perhaps you can research a New York State firm that manufactured smaller four-wheel-drive trucks successfully used for snow removal. The Walters were uncanny and, seemingly, unstoppable with their single wheel stance; the engines were probably made by Waukesha. But gearing absolutely made the difference; hills were no object for these trucks, which I personally viewed in heavy Nebraska snows during 1947-'48.
Finally, thank you for the clarification on the aircraft engines designed to power the B-17 Flying Fortress. One such pilot, stationed for a time in Italy, transitioned himself into both NASCAR and USAC (Indy 500) as a successful and winning crew chief at both venues; in fact, his 1964 Bubble-car entry is, today, enshrined at the Speedway Museum.
Those of you old enough to remember Gene Autry and Champion may wish to know that he served as Smokey Yunick's co-pilot from Newfoundland to the Azores, a 10-hour flight.
Your format diversity continues to educate us on a variety of topics.
Frank Pfau
Advance, North Carolina
In the article in HCC #13, the October issue, about "Developing the Metropolitan," I find it hard to believe that Bill Flajole would get the credit for the design of the car. Is it pure coincidence that the big Nash of the period had similar styling cues? The enveloped wheels, the dip in the door with the hash marks, the lower body line that follows from front to back with semi-enclosed front wheels. All coincidence, or did Pinin Farina, who designed the big Nash, just copy Flajole?
I was also of the understanding that Austin themselves built the cars at Longbridge, not a private supplier. And the photo caption on page 64 states, "the hood blister never made it to the production car." I think that is incorrect as the first series did have the hood blister. It wasn't until a second series that the "hood scoop" became a slot at the base of the windshield. The first ones were as in the bottom right photo on page 65.
Hugh A. Dick
Via the internetPat Foster replies:If Hugh rereads the article, he'll see that I stated that Flajole created the original concept, which was later modified by Nash Styling. Pinin Farina had nothing to do with the Met.Flajole was working on what became the Metropolitan in 1948-two years before Pinin Farina began working for Nash. And he built the original NXI concept car in 1949-a full year before Farina arrived on the scene. And one design feature, the enclosed wheel wells, was not the brainchild of Pinin Farina nor even of Bill Flajole. Many companies used them on concept studies, and Nash put the idea into production on the 1949 Airflyte Ambassador and 600 models. They were a favorite of Nash VP Engineering Nils Wahlberg, and by rights they must be credited to Nash. Flajole, Pinin Farina and even Nash Styling utilized them at the insistence of Nash CEO George Mason, who felt they were a product identifying feature with distinct advantages.Regarding Hugh's comment about Farina designing the 1952 Nash senior lines, although he's often credited for that, the truth is his full-sized proposal was rejected by Nash management. A competitive proposal by the in-house Nash Styling department was approved for production. In a last-minute change of heart, Nash Styling was ordered to modify their proposal to incorporate several of Farina's ideas. The resulting final design was a composite of the two design teams, as created by Nash Styling. This was verified to me by both design teams. The lateness of the change is the reason why the 1952 Nash senior cars debuted many months later than usual.Over the years I've interviewed all surviving members of the Nash Styling team. Comparing Flajole's design with the production car, it's easy to see that many changes needed to be made to give the production car a family resemblance to the bigger Nashes. All of these were done by Nash Styling under Ed Anderson. However, the recessed door notch was, I strongly believe, Flajole's idea and was adopted by Nash Styling for the 1952 senior cars.Austin handled assembly of the cars at Longbridge, but the bodies themselves were built by Fisher and Ludlow. Regarding the photo caption that states the hood blister didn't make it into production, I don't recall writing that, and doubt that I would make so obvious an error. I'd prefer to blame some anonymous photo editor and hope that's the case. In any event, as Hugh notes, the first series Mets did have a hood scoop.I really enjoyed the feature on the 1938 Buick Century in HCC #16. My first car was a 1939 Buick that I bought for $60 in 1955 at the age of 15. I have owned many of the Straight-8 Buicks of the '30s and '40s and they were all solid, reliable and fun cars.
Absent from your story was the fact that this was the first and only year for Buick's optional semi-automatic transmission.
They were complicated, failure prone, and quickly dropped from production. Of course, some years later, the fully automatic Dynaflow transmission was introduced and was a huge success with Buick owners.
I continue to enjoy your great magazine.
William Perkins
Macon, GeorgiaHCC is the only trade magazine which I read cover to cover, and it's the only car magazine I have found that is written (dare I say) above a grade-school level. But Jim Donnelly's column "Flanges Forever" in HCC #15 really opened the closet door on this one: Trains and Cars. I came out of the closet just recently. When the family noticed, I was sneaking a read from time to time of model railroad magazines, they gave me a Lionel Penn Flyer set for Christmas. Since then I have been glued to online auctions, perusing the goodies.
I have just qualified for Medicare and, over my life I have noticed many car people have multi-faceted dreams. Usually they vacillate between various forms of transportation-cars, boats, airplanes and, yes, trains. Model railroading, however, is most times closeted. Perhaps because it is something you fooled with when you were a kid.
In any case, I often tell friends asking my age: I am 65 going on 14. So I think you have given encouragement to all those closeted guys and gals out there. Model railroading will never be the same.
J. D. Via e-mailI could not agree more with Jim Donnelly; I am a long-standing train and old-car nut. Trains and cars go together like beer and baseball. I own a large model train layout and three old cars and travel by train whenever the opportunity presents itself. Just last year I traveled by first-class sleeper from Paris to Florence-this was the greatest ride in a vehicle I have ever experienced!
This year I went to eastern Germany to ride the narrow-gauge steam-powered railways in the Harz mountains and in Saxony. As soon as I got home, I acquired a true barn find in the hills of Quebec, namely a 1954 Citroën Light 15, and have spent all summer restoring the running gear. I have had a ball!
It's not just trains and cars, what about old propeller-driven airliners? Connies and the DC-6, not to mention ocean liners. Until the Interstate system was built and the Boeing 707 first flew, it seemed like every means of transport had its own good share of the marketplace. It would be nice if we still had that choice.
Larry A. Lewis
Via e-mailWow! What a surprise to see that someone else feels as I do about cars and trains. Jim Donnelly hit it right on the head. I have bought, restored and sold many classic cars. I still have four, which are keepers: 1930 Model A, 1938 Bantam, 1950 Olds and a 1957 Chevy.
But, like Jim, I'm a die-hard train guy, too. I even have railroad tracks in my yard along with a 1915, 81-foot, 80-plus-ton Pullman observation car that I have been restoring since 1989. I also have a completely restored 1882 narrow-gauge passenger car.
Yeah Jim, you're right-there are some of us out there.
Bill Von Seht
Coon Valley, WisconsinThe only other passion I have besides Buicks is trains from the era of steam. We tour with the BDE (Buick Driving Enthusiasts), and the Pennsylvania RR museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania, was a highlight of one of our trips. If our group can find a train to ride, we do it! We've ridden Museum lines in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio in the last four years. Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is on next summer's list.
I built O and HO layouts as a kid and am a student of the history of the Catskill Mountains' famous O & W line from NYC to the resorts of the 1900s through 1950s.
Jim has it right, how could a car guy not love trains?
Mike Stemen
Via e-mail
P.S. I have 5 cars: '41 Buick Super Convertible Sedan, '48 Roadmaster convertible, '68 Electra 225 convertible, '71 Riviera GS 455, and a '75 Eldorado convertible.
I must say that "Flanges Forever" really hit home. My stepfather (William Kimberly) was the curator of Steamtown USA when it was located in Bellows Falls, Vermont. I spent many childhood years playing on the Union Pacific Big Boy, riding the Green Mountain Railroad, learning what a semaphore was and how a locomotive turntable worked. How lucky I was to have had access to those great iron horses and experiences.
I have been into muscle cars since my teens, and currently have three projects sitting in my garage. I'm now in my mid-40s, and my love for trains and cars is stronger than ever. Just last night I went to pick up my wife at the local Amtrak station. The sound of the distant whistle and rumble of the arriving train filled me with the passion and excitement of this lifelong affliction. Thanks for the memories!
Douglas G. Allan
Lacey, WashingtonI totally disagree with Richard about Pebble Beach. He stated, "Automobile enthusiasts will accept European automobiles that were mass-produced, yet turn their noses up at similar cars that were designed for the same market segment, because they were built in America." Even though the European cars Richard speaks of were "mass-produced," I'm sure that if he compared the numbers, the majority of the "mass-produced" European cars were far less in production number than the American counterparts. Also, many of those "mass-produced" Ferraris, Mercedes-Benzes and Maseratis were not imported into this country for the "market segment" and are unusual for that reason.
Secondly, he kills his own argument in the closing statement, "If the Pebble Beach advisory board doesn't agree with me, then they need to take a hard look at both the Meadow Brook and Amelia Island Concours." Pebble Beach has hit on a combination that works. I pay my money at Pebble Beach because I want to see what Pebble Beach offers, which is a collection of autos at one time that you will not match anywhere in the world. It's different from all the others. If they don't have what I like and Meadow Brook and Amelia Island do, then I will spend my money and time at those concours. If Pebble Beach were to change, I would be most disappointed. There are plenty of other concours like Hilton Head Island and other venues that present classes for "mass-produced" 1950s and 1960s American cars. Richard can take his '61 Pontiac bubbletop there. How about Richard and James Scott (Recaps HCC #15) start their own concours strictly for their likes and exclude all of the Duesenbergs, Bugattis and Talbot-Lagos and build it to be the premier concours for 1950s and 1960s American cars in the world? I would appreciate that concours just as much as Pebble Beach; it's different!
I don't go to a Chinese restaurant and demand that they make me lasagne; I leave and go to an Italian restaurant. I go to Pebble Beach to see one-of-a-kind, low-production rare automobiles that you're not going to generally see at the local show or even the AACA events. I'm not going to let people try and make me feel upset that the Early Ford V-8 club that I belong to doesn't allow Chevys or Dodges. I'm not going to be mad because the local Corvette club doesn't invite our Model A. Most certainly, I'm not upset or narrow-minded because I agree that Pebble Beach doesn't have a class for a 1948 Frazer Manhattan four-door. I think Frazer four-doors look good with groupers and snappers living in them at the bottom of the ocean. Good thing I don't get my way, and I'm glad Richard hasn't gotten his either!
Bobby Davis
Jacksonville, Florida

This article originally appeared in the February, 2006 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.